1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to patient support apparatus and more particularly but not by way of limitation, to a pediatric support surface system that provides convenient accessibility during operative procedures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Developing technology has made surgical procedures more complex. Miniaturization of operating tools, magnetic resonance, microscopic efficiency, and other advances enable doctors to fix problems today using procedures that were inconceivable 20 years ago. The advances in tools utilized by doctors now require certain formerly inaccessible areas of patients to be accessible.
An example of one procedure that has undergone tremendous changes is the separation of conjoined twins. Operations on conjoined twins can now be performed in what was once considered as impossible. Conjoined twins history has been recorded, and oftentimes the history involves death when separation is attempted.
One of the earliest recorded examples of conjoined twins was a set of identical twins in 945 A.D. in Constantinople connected from the waist to the abdomen. An attempted surgical separation of the twins caused the death of one, with the survivor dying three days later.
Perhaps the best-known set of twins was Chang and Eng, who were born on a houseboat in the village of Mekong, in what was formerly known as Siam on May 11, 1811. Chang and Eng were the first given the name “Siamese Twins”. These twins lived a relatively long life, and together fathered 21 children with their respective wife. They were never surgically separated.
Craniopagus-conjoined twins—those joined at the head—are rare. Despite the rarity, surgical separation of these twins has been attempted, both successfully and unsuccessfully. Recently, 29-year-old craniopagus-conjoined twins Ladan and Laleh Bijani of Iran died from blood losses in the brain shortly after doctors apparently successfully separated their two skulls. Their chances of survival entering the operation were perceived to be no better than 50-50. It is believed that the Bijani Twins were only the second set of adult conjoined twins to be separated in recorded history. The first were the Godino brothers, but they were only separated after one died. The other died a few days later of infection. The Godino brothers were 28 at the time of their separation.
More recently, craniopagus-conjoined twin boys Ahmed and Mohammed Ibrahim Mohammed were born Jun. 2, 2001 in the southern Egyptian town of Qus connected at the skull and brain. The boys were flown to Dallas, Tex. for separation surgery in what made headlines throughout the United States, and world. After several delays, the successful 34-hour surgery took place on Oct. 12-13, 2003.
One of the problems of such surgeries is the support surface, or operating table, utilized by doctors must be accessible in a large arcuate range, so that the many complex tools required can be accessible by the doctors during such procedures. Unfortunately, due to the rarity of such surgeries, support surface technology has not caught up with operation technology, and oftentimes special devices must be designed to meet the needs. And because the conjoined twins are often separated at pediatric stages, such support surface technology must be so modified.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a support surface system for pediatric surgical procedures, particularly for separating craniopagus-conjoined twins, capable to be used as an operating table providing sufficient access to doctors during the surgical procedure, and that minimizes doctor-movement requirements and provides access to the patient.